Lee Jussim, PhD, a blogger over at Psychology Today, has a piece on the accuracy of our stereotypes. In fact, they are often more accurate than hypotheses for research in social psychology. Not that every stereotype is accurate, or even that the most accurate ones are infallible. Just that they are often a good first approximation.
Check his sidebar. There's lots of fun there.
Stereotypes are as useful as any rule of thumb. As the author notes, the really dangerous thing is failing to see evidence that's under your nose. If your stereotypes lead you to do that, it's time to root them out. There's no one so blind as a guy with rigid preconceived notions.
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